Thank you, Maninder Bamrah who covered the essential work community disability workers do every day to support Alberta’s most vulnerable citizens. We would also like to thank RED FM Calgary for airing our story to the thousands of workers who are from South Asia. �

#Jeremy Nixon #Danielle Smith #YourAlberta (Government of Alberta)

Transcripts:

RJ (Monika): Few days back, there is a news that is all over the social media that the workers of Disability sector are asking for the 25% pay hike as they are only getting minimum of 18.76 per hour. It’s been 8 years, since 2014 they didn’t get any raise which is really sad. So, to discuss it further, today we have Ms. Maninder Bamrah who is Disability Support Worker with us from Calgary SCOPE Society. Let’s talk to her and get more information regarding the wages and there work and their demands from the government.

Maninder: Hello everyone.

Monika: Please tell us about your work, like daily work as in job description so that our listeners can understand better.

Maninder: Every day is a different and new day in lives of Disability Support Worker. We support people with disabilities in their daily chores and activities so that they can work independently. We support by providing them a kind of heathy counselling as they go through various traumas, anxiety, and stress. We have different models like high risk, low risk which kind of decides the ratio of staff with the clients. We support them in their daily lives.

Monika: Who regulate the employment of workers like are the agencies and what is the process of hiring and how these agencies work like is there any kind of funding and any special skills or training you need?

Maninder: Yes, like I am employed with Calgary SCOPE Society. It basically works like after completing your studies in Disability field, the university or college asks the students to complete their practicum with various agencies. So, after doing that an individual can proceed accordingly the agencies procedures of hiring like interviews and if successful then they proceed further. The agencies work on funding as SCOPE is nonprofit agency, So, like PDD and FSCD is there and also various training we have to complete like CPI, First Aid/ CPR, Food Safety, Safe Bathing and medication Administration. Without these trainings which are funded by Calgary SCOPE Society you cannot work in this sector. You need full and proper education and trainings to be a disability support worker.

Monika: PC of SCOPE Society, DALE CENA, has said that as wages are so low people doesn’t want to join the disability sector and because of this the quality of disability sector will be affected negatively. So, what do you think?

Maninder: Yes, of course as our PC Dale Cena mentioned, the quality will be get affected because people doesn’t want to work on low wages. For example, If a person study in disability sector by paying the fees in thousand dollars and then when he work he will going to see only 18.76 per hour, he will definitely going to get demotivated that “ I had paid thousands while studying and now when I am working I am unable to pay my bills. So, let’s change my profession”. As we all know that how much the cost of living is getting in here, the rents, and inflation everything is expensive. Then how can a person will going to pay his/her bills. Because of these factors an educated person is not willing to work in disability sector or they wants to change their profession. If a person who doesn’t have disability education, that person works in our sector it will going to affect the client and the worker himself. For instance, while studying we are taught to do healthy counselling, we do case studies, we do practicums and learn skills that were taught in universities, when a person doesn’t know what these all things are he/she will be not even able to build up a trust of the client. And during any kind of incident they wouldn’t know how to deal with the situation. You have to be have the knowledge and study to work successfully in disability sector.

Monika: The minister, Jeremey Nixon, has said that I doesn’t promise to increase the minimum wage but I will look to increase maybe funding. So, what do you want from government and what you want to say to them?

Maninder: See, from last 6 months our campaign is going on “We’re Essential”, and during this time we had met 19 ministries and 6 MLAs and had got chance to speak with various channels like today you guys have given us chance, we had spoken to global news, CBC Radio, CTV News Calgary, Edmonton, CITY news, we are only saying one thing that we need the minimum wages to be increased, its high time now. Minster Mr. Jeremy Nixon, as you told, had said about increasing the funding and that’s also maybe, we appreciate about his acknowledgment but we are asking about the wages. It’s only $18.76 and its 8 years. It’s a long time and long wait too. How much more does the government want us to wait and work on this minimum wage? Workers also need motivation and if we think practically then just by earning $18.76 what kind of motivation we the workers are getting? Everybody needs best for their families and in today’s world everybody needs good money to pay the bills. Nobody wants to do 2-3 jobs but people are forced to do because from disability job they are not earning enough. And we know that if a person is doing 2-3 jobs, he/she gets tired and frustration hits too and in disability sector you can’t be frustrated because our clients get to know and then ultimately the work and the bond gets affected which is in nobody’s favor. We are asking 25% hike and want to ask the government when they are going to hear us and that’s why the campaign was started.
And I want to add that go online at change.org, sign our petition so that more and more people gets to know about the campaign and our petition because we’re essential, we are integral part of the society and now the government has to hear us. So, please visit at change.org and be a part of our campaign because WE’RE ESSENTIAL.

Monika: Please repeat the name of the campaign

Maninder: sure, its WE’RE ESSENTIAL.
Monika: listeners please go and check about the campaign and petition. Thank You Ms. Maninder for giving us your time.

Maninder: Thank You so much Ms. Monika and all the listeners and guys please go and check the petition and sign it and be a part of WE’RE ESSENTIAL because we are essential.